THE DEFENCE FORCES

Evening Star, Issue 22722, 9 August 1937, Page 2

THE DEFENCE FORCES

NEWS AND NOTES

[By Sam Browns;.] ETAM DIVISION R.N.V.R. SMALL BORE RIFLE SHOOTING. The results of the interdivisional Painter trophy competition have been received much earlier . than usual, und the competition resulted in a wm by the Canterbury Division from the Otago Division by the narrow margin of four points. The scores for the four B.N V.B. divisions are as follow out of a possible 320:— Canterbury 306, Otago 302, Auckland 272, Wellington 234. The competition commenced in 1932, the results since being as follow;; . 1932 won by Auckland division; 1933, Von by, Otago Division; 1934, won by Otago Division; 1935, won by Wellington, Division;. 1936, won by CanteSurylXvTSioii; 193/, won by Oanterbury On each occasion when not having won th©competition the Otago ,Divi* sion has : been a very close second. The improvement in the standard or shooting since the inception of the competition is shown by the average score pelteam. In 1932 out of a possible 320 the average was 227.7, and in 1937 was 250. Th® range at headquarters will be available for the continuation oi the practices for the various cups and trophies at, headquarters. GENERAL TRAINING.

The division assembled on Wednesday last, when the training syllabus was proceeded with as follows;: —• Seamanship.—l 937 classes of ord. seamen. Knots and splices and lecture on parts of a ship. Gunnery.—All 1936 ord, seamen; Instruction .in 4in q.f. semi-auto. gun drill. Light gunlayers, act. L.G.L.s, and Q.G. ratings, lecture on ammunition, projectiles, and fuses. Minesweeping.—All ratings qualified in minesweeping and A.B.s not specialised continued advanced seamanship course, appertaining to practical entailed during minesweeping operations. Signals.—The visual signalling and wireless team carried out signal exercise B, while the remainder continued practical signalling by lamp and semaphore. Wireless. —Senior wireless ratings continued practical wireless communication with H.M.S. Philomel and other R.N.Y.R. divisions. Junior wireless ratings continued wireless procedure exercises at the flashing and buzzer table, while the probationary wireless ratings continued practice in reading Morse at the small buzzer table. The division will parade on Wednesday, at 7.30, when the syllabus already iu operation will be proceeded with. VOLUNTARY TRAINING. The class for leading seamen will be continued on Monday nights from now on. A good attendance of petty-officers, leading seamen, and able seamen qualifying in gunnery, and ratings qualifying for the wireless and signal branches was present for voluntary training in those subjects on Tuesday last. Voluntary instruction in the subjects mentioned will be continued on Tuesdays from now on. NOTES. The port wireless officer will visit the Otago Division for the _ periodical inspection of wireless and visual signalling equipment and conducting wireless and signal examinations during the week ending Saturday, August 14. The annual reunion of all exR. ratings will be held at the divisional headquarters on Thursday, at S. A good evening is assured, and it is hoped that as many as possible will be present to renew old acquaintances and “ crack old ships.” ARMY CHARGES DEFINITE STEPS TOWARD MODERNISATION. . The past two years, writes Liddell Hart, in ‘ The Fighting Forces,’ have been marked by definite steps toward the modernisation of the army. Hitherto the post-par period had seen much activity of idea—there is abundant evidence that British _ military thought has for the first time commanded the attention of, and blazed the trail'for, the armies of the world. That development of ideas produced in turn a growth of practical experiments in mechanisation, tactics, and organisation. But the experiments had less consistency and tenacity than the ideas—sometimes they were ill-planned, sometimes discontinued because of some contrary current, and then renewed after a needless loss of time and experience. Meantime the army as a whole went on almost unchanged, in a pattern that might serve for Imperial policing—with some improvised help from motor transport—but because ever less suited to the conditions of modern warfare. So long as money was lacking, and no foreign danger was on the immediate horizon, the authorities preferred to postpone modernisation in order to keep intact the number of men and units. They might have reorganised the Army on a smaller scale ana newer pattern; but this alternative course was hindered by the system of financial control, by the Cardwell system, by mistrust of what the “ politicians ” might do with money thus saved for re-equipment, and by a natural reluctance to embark ’on changes of uncertain issue. On the existing scale of units, the margin of money available for new equipment was inevitably small. Experiments continued, but no serious attempt to apply their results was feasible until an increase in the total money became likely.

Changes have taken place in the cavalry. The' mobile division * consisting of tank brigade, two mechanised ovalry • brigades, and ancillary units, was to take the place of the cavalry division, and. among other duties, carry out the former tasks of the cavalry division. Each mechanised cavalry brigade was to consist of one light tank cavalry regiment and two motor cavalry regiments. In the latter type of unit each section was to be carried in its own motor carrier. This change called for the mechanisation of all British cavalry regiments other than five in India and five in Great Britain ear-marked for divisional cavalry regiments. But “ full cycle goes' the wheel,” and a recent announcement states that the five divisions cavalry regiments in Great Britain are to be mechanised. This will no doubt mean that the five regiments in India must, either follow; suit or, as long as the 'Cardwell system remains, spend the remainder of their service iii that country. The mechanised cavalry brigades, too, are to be remodelled so that light tank rather than motor cavalry regiments will predominate in each brigade, thereby adding considerably to the “ punch ” of such brigades. The Engineers, Army Service Corps, Ordinance, and Medical Corps have also contributed in varying degrees to the process of change. Tho Engineers now havb their transport itiechanised, all field companies are equipped with power tools, and the bridging equipment carried within the division by the field park company, though restricted to folding boat equipment for rafts and bridges for a five-ton load and small box girder bridges for a nine-ton load, is superior in every way and more plentiful than that carried in 1918. Pontoon _ bridging, additional folding boat equipment, and small box girder bridges are now carried by a pontoon bridging transport capable of carrying the dismounted portion of one field company. The Divisional Army _ Service Corps now consists of a divisional supply column, a divisional ammunition company. and a divisional petrol company. Tho divisional supply column comprises two similar echelons each working direct from railhead and delivering supplies to unit transport lines. Each echelon works on alternate days. This unit now functions both as second and third line transport, the supply section of the divisional maintenance company being eliminated from the chain of plyThe system for tho supply of ammunition is much the same as before, except that the function of the ammunition section of the divisional maintenance company is now carried out by a corps ammunition park, which has a sub-park for each division. The same amount of ammunition is carried in front of railhead, but a smaller proportion is carried on wheels.

ombo and Grampian, Vola Halo and Liauc, Silver Slipper and Maroha, Jed Forest and Gold Boy, Lo Touquet and Laggard, Scrap and Hay Dress, Einiuclino Girl and Bonnie Agues, and The Sandwiohinan and Clubman in the Avonhead Handicap.